Jakub Dobes leads Canadiens to 3-2 win over Sabres in Game 7

Goaltender Jakub Dobes made 37 saves, including a critical stop in overtime, to backstop the Montreal Canadiens to a 3-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres in Game 7 on Monday, clinching their second-round playoff series four games to three. The win sends Montreal to the NHL’s Eastern Conference final.

The 24-year-old Czech netminder delivered the performance after a difficult outing in Game 6 on Saturday, where he allowed six goals and was pulled from an 8-3 home loss. Dobes said being pulled served as a wake-up call and that he took it personally. His coach, Martin St. Louis, said the team’s process of resetting after a tough loss helped Dobes move on.

Montreal built a 2-0 lead in Game 7 on goals from Phillip Danault and Zachary Bolduc. The Sabres pushed back, tying the game in the third period with goals from Jordan Greenway and Rasmus Dahlin to force overtime. Dobes was instrumental throughout, with key saves including a breakaway denial of Jack Quinn and a late stop on Tage Thompson before the extra period.

In overtime, Alex Newhook scored the series-winning goal for the Canadiens. Dobes embraced the hostile environment at Buffalo’s KeyBank Center, where fans loudly chanted his...